Ron Sexsmith Albums (10)
'Exit Strategy of the Soul'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 14
Label Universal
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What The Critics Say
Ron Sexsmith's musical demeanor seems so typical of the modesty common to his native Canada that the notion of him recording with a handful of Cuban jazz musicians sounds almost freakish. Would Sexsmith melt when he came in contact with the heat of the Latin players, or would he transform them into quiet, contemplative types pondering love and life over coffee and Tim Horton's doughnuts? Sexsmith's tenth album, Exit Strategy of the Soul, was produced by Martin Terefe, who after recording basic tracks got the idea of flying to Cuba to add additional horns and percussion courtesy of arranger Joaquin Betancourt and musicians Amaury Perez (trombone) and Alexander Abreu (trumpet). The results don't sound at all like jazz, but the soulful side that's often lurked under the surface of Sexsmith's music rises to the surface on tunes like "Music to My Ears" and "Last Round"; no, Sexsmith hasn't been transformed into Wilson Pickett, but there is a light R&B accent in these numbers that surprisingly suits him well, and he sounds comfortable and expressive in these surroundings. Sexsmith also collaborated with Leslie Feist on the song "Brandy Alexander," which boasts a gracefully hooky melody to go along with the horns, and even the songs that just feature the songwriter with a studio rhythm section show a warmth and understated passion that peek through the natural reserve of Sexsmith's voice. And for a man who sounded either uncomfortable or painfully shy as a vocalist on his early work, Exit Strategy of the Soul shows Sexsmith has matured into a confident and eloquent performer who sings nearly as well as he writes -- and he's as consistently good a songwriter as you'll find in North America these days. Exit Strategy of the Soul isn't just an experiment that succeeds, it's one of Sexsmith's strongest and most affecting works to date, and it's truly a pleasure to hear. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Time Being reunites the Canadian singer/songwriter with producer Mitchell Froom. As the man behind the glass for almost all of Sexsmith's work in the mid- to late '90s, Froom adapted his rhythmic, hyper-compressed production style to the singer's laconic pop confections with both grace and restraint, resulting in some of the decade's craftiest and coolest adult alternative rock. Like all Ron Sexsmith albums, Time Being is reliable and expertly crafted, and contains a handful of cuts that will kick around in your head until the next one swoops in to replace them. Both Froom and Sexsmith rarely deviate from their chosen styles, so to hear them working together again is both a comfort and a curse. Songs like "Hands of Time," "I Think We're Lost," and the nostalgic "All in Good Time" are all classic Sexsmith (characters looking for that elusive balance between melancholy and hope amidst midtempo acoustic landscapes), but one can't help but wish that he'd stir in a few more songs like "The Grim Trucker" into the pot. A surprising and enigmatic tale of culinary existentialism where Sexsmith adopts a mischievous Ray Davies croon over a serpentine, White Album-era Beatles-sounding arrangement, it offers the listener a glimpse into the kaleidoscope where Sexsmith fishes around for ideas. One hopes that next time around he embarks on a full tour. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
'Destination Unknown'
Release Date 9/6/2005
Tracks 13
Label Emergent / 92e
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What The Critics Say
For a songwriter who is so closely in touch with the gentle and childlike side of his musical nature, Ron Sexsmith has always swung pretty hard with the pop stick, mining his songs for all their hooks in the studio, and while there's no arguing that Sexsmith has a great way with a melody, it seems just a bit surprising that it's taken him 14 years after the release of his debut to cut an acoustic album. Destination Unknown was recorded as a collaborative project with Don Kerr, who has played drums and cello with Sexsmith's road band for years, and the performances are largely centered on their harmonies, with Kerr's supportive tenor dovetailing nicely with Ron's leads. And while this isn't billed as an "unplugged" set, the arrangements are dominated by acoustic instruments and have the casual, unforced feel of a back porch guitar pull. Like many of Sexsmith's best albums, the surfaces of Destination Unknown are modest enough that they nearly obscure just how strong the craft really is; while there isn't much fuss in the arrangements on these sessions, what's here is balanced with commendable skill, the picking is expert, and the presence of occasional glossy moments such as the string section on "Chasing Forever" suggest this album's low-key approach was guided by aesthetics as much as budget or convenience. And Sexsmith has rarely sounded more comfortable or compelling as a vocalist; these 13 songs are beautifully cast in his own special mold, and he brings them to rich life on these recordings with Kerr's harmonies adding an invaluable assist. Destination Unknown is one of Ron Sexsmith's most straightforward and unadorned albums, and it also happens to be one of his best. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Ron Sexsmith has had little problem establishing his identity as a songwriter with the warm, compassionate intelligence of his lyrics, as a recording artist he's been a bit harder to pin down. After escaping the tape-loop jungle of Mitchell Froom's production on his first three major-label albums, Sexsmith has seen his music matched with the roots-oriented pop approach of Blue Boy and the subtle electronic textures of Cobblestone Runway, each successful but in decidedly different ways. At first listen, Sexsmith's sixth album, Retriever, sounds like an attempt to move back to the style of Other Songs or Whereabouts, but without the production excesses of those sessions; many of the melodies boast '60s-influenced pop hooks, and Martin Terefe's production subtly reinforces the Beatlesque qualities of the music, with occasional side trips into the land of '70s singer/songwriters ("Whatever It Takes" could almost pass for a lost Bill Withers track). But the results have a more open and organic feel than Froom's thematically similar work, employing real strings and less cluttered arrangements, and Sexsmith sounds quite comfortable in these surroundings. While Sexsmith sounded decidedly awkward and self-conscious as a singer on his early albums, he's grown into a vocalist who delivers his material with a genuine and compelling commitment on his recent albums, and Retriever sounds like his most confident and accomplished set to date. And as a writer, Sexsmith is still gloriously one of a kind, a man who can write about love without sounding either cloying or bitter, and can document both the bright and dark sides of life with honesty, heart, and clear perception. Most songwriters could go their whole careers without penning a song as strong as "How on Earth," "Imaginary Friends," or "For the Driver," and those are just three of the high points on Retriever; if you know Sexsmith's work, then you already have a good idea of how good this album is, and if you don't, this is a fine place to get acquainted. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A singer/songwriter whose strong suit is his warmth and humanity wouldn't seem like a likely prospect to be teamed up with a bunch of electronic keyboards, drum machines, and other bits of hi-tech hardware, but after leaving behind Mitchell Froom's tape-loop fantasias for Steve Earle's rootsy and straightforward production on Blue Boy, Ron Sexsmith takes another sonic left-turn on his fifth album, Cobblestone Runway (his sixth if you include his first self-released cassette, Grand Opera Lane). Cobblestone Runway finds Sexsmith embracing electronics with surprising enthusiasm, but he has the good sense not to drown himself in them; while "These Days" features a prominent drum loop and echoey white-noise keyboard patches, the chilly undertow is offset by some soulful backing vocals and the (slightly) rumpled sincerity of Sexsmith's voice and acoustic guitar, and the spacey synth lines on "Disappearing Act" find their complement in a gloriously low-tech electric guitar. Much like Mark Eitzel on The Invisible Man, Ron Sexsmith has found a way to breathe a very human sense of emotional openness into his spare electronic backings ("Heart's Desire" even winds up with a bit of noisy but high-groove jamming), and Cobblestone Runway serves his songs as well as any album he's ever made. Of course, it helps that (as usual) Sexsmith has written a dozen winners here, from the lament for the sad state of love on "These Days" to the realist's bid for optimism on "Gold In Them Hills," and the purposefully childlike "God Loves Everyone" is one of the truly effective musical pleas for human tolerance to emerge post-September 11. On his last few releases, Ron Sexsmith 'the recording artist' appears to be finally catching up with Ron Sexsmith 'the gifted songwriter,' and if Cobblestone Runway's surfaces may initially puzzle a few fans, the heart, soul, and hard-won wisdom of these performances confirm that he's finally mastered the recording studio, and it ranks with his best-realized work to date. (The disc also features a second version of "Gold In Them Hills" as a bonus, featuring a duet vocal with Chris Martin of Coldplay.) ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For his fourth studio album, Ron Sexsmith abandoned the increasingly baroque textures of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake's keyboard-dominated production to work with producer and fellow world-class songwriter Steve Earle (along with Earle's usual studio partner, Ray Kennedy). But if you're expecting the results to be a straightforward singer/songwriter affair, think again -- Blueboy is a stylistically diverse, sonically full-bodied affair, and while it's hardly a full-on rock record, it's certainly Sexsmith's most immediate and forceful set to date. Between the soul horns on "This Song," the reggae accents of "Never Been Done," and the cool jazz arrangement on "Foolproof," Earle's production brings a variety of different flavors to these songs, and while most fall into a smart pop mode not unlike Sexsmith's earlier work, the album's subtle but inventive textures draw the listener's focus into the songs, rather than the arrangements. Earle and Kennedy have also done a fine job capturing the nuances of Sexsmith's vocals, which boast a greater depth than on most of his earlier outings in the studio. But the best reason to listen to a Ron Sexsmith album is always his songs, and Blueboy offers another 14 pieces of evidence that this man ranks among the most gifted singer/songwriters working today. Balancing a youthful charm with a strikingly mature perspective, Sexsmith sings about the stuff of ordinary people -- life, love, and fate -- with a perceptive intelligence, emotional depth, and subtle and compassionate wit that's truly one of a kind. Anyone who has heard his work knows that Ron Sexsmith is a superb songwriter, and Blueboy suggests he's learned how to make records just as strong as his material. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ron Sexsmith's third album continues the singer/songwriter's talent -- and perhaps his need -- for revealing his delicate and contemplative reflections on life and himself. On Whereabouts, Sexsmith sounds vulnerable yet a bit more worldly than on his previous two albums, and his clear, plaintive vocals sound best on the most introspective tracks like "Riverbed," "The Idiot Boy," and "Doomed." The only minor flaw is the production -- somewhat cold and soulless, it detracts from Sexsmith's intimacy instead of complementing it. ~ Gina Boldman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The quandary of the whole solo singer/songwriter thing is that one listener's deeply personal and affecting music is another's boringly self-absorbed slop. And the fine line between them, between naked emotion and unadulterated pap, is the production, its intent, and above all, the talent trapped in it -- so highly exposed, after all. In this second LP by Sexsmith, it's clear he's a composer of ability, as his lyrics have a quietly moving air and his delicate picking and fingering of his acoustic silently charms. The drums bubble so lightly in the back you never notice them, and the pretty piano on tracks such as "Average Joe" is employed with grace. Best of all, Sexsmith's voice is a dead ringer for 1966-1967 Tim Hardin (circa his best work, Tim Hardin I and Tim Hardin II), only without Hardin's more breathy trills (and without the late legend's incredible, arrestingly sweet melancholia, woeful lamentation, and bleeding heart). Sexsmith's throat is smoky menthol, yet gentle and soothing, the kind that wraps around the melodies like a mother's most serene lullaby. Maybe there's a little 1971 Jackson Browne in Sexsmith, too, only without the reedy dweebness. On the negative side, ubiquitous producer Mitchell Froom elicits nice takes but envelops them in a slightly glossy sheen. He makes Sexsmith fall in line with so much ho-hum singer/songwriter pop, when the playing and singing suggested more direct emotional immediacy, like Hardin, or young Neil Young, or the late-'60s Paul Simon before he regrettably lost his Garfunkel. That Sexsmith has the stuff to overcome such sanitation for listeners' protection is a credit to a modest prize at work. And love that mellifluous voice. ~ Jack Rabid, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ron Sexsmith is so anti-cool that this may actually be one the coolest albums you hear. The Toronto singer/songwriter's appearance matches his music perfectly -- hair falling in tousled bangs over doe eyes and baby face; one of those guys who always got beat up in high school and couldn't string two words together in front of a real live girl without stammering. A wide-eyed innocent, Sexsmith's eponymous release marries the wonder of Jonathan Richman with the darker atmosphere of a Daniel Lanois. Superficially, the songs are so sparsely childlike that you're tempted to wonder if Sexsmith is either a master of affectation or some kind of idiot savant. ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
'Grand Opera Lane'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 11
Label [self released]
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Released independently with his backing band, the Uncool, Ron Sexsmith's re-released debut album is a bit more of a rock effort than the pop-folk albums he later created. "In This Love" has a definitive acoustic or alternative country tinge to it in the vein of Blue Rodeo. Backed by Don Kerr and Steve Charles on harmony vocals, the tune has a soulful touch to it despite Sexsmith at times over-exerting his vocals during the bridge. Equally vital is the horn section, providing a Dave Matthews quality to the proceedings. "Spending Money" is a funky pop track showcasing the musician's simple yet descriptive narratives. The arrangement is a bit simplistic, though. One trait that is shown early on is Sexsmith's consistent soulful delivery, like a latter-day Motown album. "Don't Mind Losing" moves toward the country-soul party music of the Mavericks, featuring more horns. "Tell You" is perhaps the album's shining moment, a lovable acoustic track that adds harmonies before Bob Wiseman's organ kicks in. "Gonna Get What's Mine" is a blending of rockabilly and bluegrass with mixed results at best. Also included on the album is the original recording of "Speaking With the Angels," a track later issued on Sexsmith's 1995 self-titled album. Although similar in its tone, the singer opts for more of a Bob Dylan style in his delivery. The relaxing country touches on "Every Word of It" are the seeds of future projects, despite the music's tone. "Trains" is another shining moment, a sparse number featuring just acoustic guitar and Sexsmith's fragile singer/songwriter voice. It all ends with "The Laughing Crowd," another hint at what was to come in future albums that is standard melodic pop in under three minutes. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide
